These are a few of our favourite things: load cell stories you might have missed
Every month, we seek out the latest and most interesting stories on load cells to include in our articles. Here are just a few of our favourites.
Equine health and wellbeing
Load cells play a remarkably prominent role in the measurement of forces involved in equine sports. The focus is shifting from health issues such as hoof problems to assessing and measuring the impact of elements of traditional horse tack such as reins, bits and girths.
Our article: Best hoof forward: load cells and equine research
Gin and cocktails
Now that got your attention! We’ve explored how load cells play an important role in brewing, but we’re always amazed at what the combination of a raspberry Pi and a load cell or two can do – in this case, accurately mixing cocktails!
Equally, load cells play an important role in keeping the ever-growing number of designer gins consistent in taste, and with the rules on final product weight. Grab a glass of your favourite and check out our article.
How long can the gin craze last?
We asked an industry insider (the manager at our local Majestic, (who is super up to date with drinks trends), who reckons that the next ‘on trend’ drink will be whisky. The issue is that it takes considerably longer to make good whisky that it does to make designer gin, so it’s taking some time to come on-stream. Whilst we wait for a whole new generation of whiskies, here’s how load cells help turn water and malted barley into the finest Scotch whisky.
Load cells in performance
Every time you go to the theatre, a rock concert, festival or major music events, load cells will be involved in ensuring the correct loading on lighting rigs, scenery and video walls. The US tour of “The Phantom of the Opera” used a 10load cell system, but guess how many were used in the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon? Actually, don’t guess – check our our article for some impressive stats…
Load cells are also helping ballet dancers to strengthen all-important calf muscles and improve their Grand Battements. They are also keeping safe the rigger, the people responsible for erecting and de-rigging, stowing and transporting impressive sets on tour, day after day, week after week.
Climate change and load cells
Climate change is very much in the news, and here agin load cells are playing an important role in measuring, monitoring and providing alternative energy supplies. You’ll find them
- hard at work in wind turbines
- measuring microscale snow crystals and their role in snow compaction
- helping test structures such as bridges after major weather events
And finally…
The quirky load cells stories! We love these, including:
- Working out the optimum “Goldilocks” habitat for salamanders – not too hot, not too cold, and just the right humidity
- Testing elite racing yacht foil arms to destruction (impressive video alert!)
- Shoe heel testing for not so kinky boots
- Ensuring the perfect fit for the pastry lid on a Xmas mince pie
- Building a transparent underwater bedroom in the Maldives
Got an unusual project that need load cells?
Just call us. We’re more than happy to talk through your project and supply the right load cells to get the results you want. We can even design and manufacture custom load cells to your specific requirements at our base in Reading, Berkshire.
